About WellSpring
WellSpring offers resources that help you discover afresh how deeply and personally you are loved by God.
We teach practical ways to create space to engage with God so that personal transformation can happen. And from this connectedness with God, to come alive to the always-available presence of Christ inviting you to reach out in love to our hurting world.
Our SoulCARE ministry helps pastors and leaders of nonprofits care for their spiritual and emotional health.
Leaders thrive when they experience authentic, connected life with God. Healthy leaders cultivate healthy churches and ministries that bless their communities.
Our Resources
Join us for a half day retreat on the Peninsula or in the East Bay. Biblical, experiential, and seasonally themed, these retreats engage practices that will help enliven your life with God.
Join us for thoughtful conversations about our inner life and the care of souls – ours and others.
Designed for individuals or small groups, our downloadable retreats guide you into conversation with God, engaging topics with prayer prompts and ideas for reflection.
Meet with a small community of learners committed to growing and practicing spiritual rhythms together.
Meet individually with a Spiritual Director who will help you learn to notice God's presence in your life.
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF ST. IGNATIUS
An intensive individual or small group experience inviting growth in prayer as participants pay attention to ways God is active and present in their lives and in the world around them.
SoulCARE
SoulCARE is a nine-month retreat based experience bringing renewal and flourishing to pastors and nonprofit leaders.
We provide a place, a process, a curriculum, and a community where leaders can nurture their life with God. SoulCARE is offered to an intentionally small cohort of leaders each year and space is limited. There is no cost to participants. SoulCARE is offered without charge, as a metaphor and expression of God’s love.
SoulCARE Alumni
Pastors and ministry leaders who complete SoulCARE become part of our alumni community coming together for support and to extend their formational experiences into their ministry communities.
We offer refresher retreats, small groups experiences, and individual spiritual direction all designed to help our alumni sustain rhythms and spiritual practices that nurture life with God and transform their communities.
SoulCARE
SoulCARE is a nine-month retreat based experience bringing renewal and flourishing to pastors and nonprofit leaders.
We provide a place, a process, a curriculum, and a community where leaders can nurture their life with God. SoulCARE is offered to an intentionally small cohort of leaders each year and space is limited. There is no cost to participants. SoulCARE is offered without charge, as a metaphor and expression of God’s love.
SoulCARE Alumni
Pastors and ministry leaders who complete SoulCARE become part of our alumni community coming together for support and to extend their formational experiences into their ministry communities.
We offer refresher retreats, small groups experiences, and individual spiritual direction all designed to help our alumni sustain rhythms and spiritual practices that nurture life with God and transform their communities.
Our Story
In 1994, Patti Pierce established WellSpring (formerly Women at the Well) out of her experience seeing God use silence and solitude to bring spiritual transformation in her life. Her own struggle to find a relevant, practical process for building and sustaining an authentic relationship with Jesus led her to offer guidance to others.
A team formed around her and together they dreamed of creating more extensive resources to help not only individual Christians, but also leaders, who were longing to experience the “abundant life” Jesus promised in John 10:10. A life full of joy, contentment, and freedom in the midst of service. A life marked by transformation and wholeness. A life lived in authentic and rich communion with God. And fruitfulness and longevity in ministry.
Over the ensuing years, WellSpring helped thousands of people rediscover God’s personal and transformational love, and to live lives shaped by ongoing communion with God. Over 342 pastors and nonprofit leaders representing 155 churches, and 101 nonprofits throughout the Bay Area and beyond have experienced renewal through SoulCARE. In 2017 we formed a partnership with a kindred organization in Colorado called The Abbey, that provides soul care to ministry leaders in the Denver area.
Meet the People of WellSpring
Staff Team Members
PATTI PIERCE founded WellSpring in 1994. Prior to establishing the ministry, she served as Teaching Leader for Bible Study Fellowship and Minister to Singles at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. She served as adjunct faculty at Fuller Seminary, teaching a D.Min. program in Spiritual Direction. She also served on the Renovare Institute Team. She leads retreats, is a spiritual director, and also serves on the SoulCARE Leadership team.
TERI O’NEEL is a Senior Partner of WellSpring and was part of WellSpring’s founding team. She comes out of a business career in technology marketing. She served as adjunct faculty at Fuller Seminary teaching a D.Min. program in Spiritual Direction. Teri leads retreats, is a spiritual director, and also serves on the SoulCARE Leadership team.
RICHARD GOTTHARDT is a Senior Partner at WellSpring. He has been a pastor for 28 years. Most recently he was on staff at Santa Cruz Bible Church, the last five years as Lead Pastor. Richard was trained in spiritual direction at CenterQuest. He leads retreats and alumni groups and is the voice of WellSpring on our podcast. He also serves on the SoulCARE Leadership team.
CAROLINE SAGHERIAN is the WellSpring Office Manager. Caroline’s background is in English and Communications which she used extensively in both professional and volunteer capacities before joining WellSpring. She is a committed volunteer in her church community and a kind and caring presence in our office.
CLAIRE COSENTINO is the WellSpring Events Program Manager. Claire brings a unique background with a masters degree in nutrition and years of serving as a Bible Study Fellowship teacher and leader. Claire is passionate about growing in spiritual formation and helping others experience God’s love and soul nourishment.
LISA VANDEWEGE is the WellSpring Event Planner. Lisa served as the Director of Women’s Ministries at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church. She continues to lead as a Mentor Mom for MOPS International and serves on the Lead Bold leadership planning team. Lisa loves to help others experience joy, spiritual growth, and to draw closer to Jesus.
SoulCARE Team
PAUL DUMESNIL worked in the finance community most of his life prior to joining the pastoral team at South Hills Community Church in San Jose for six years. He holds a Diploma in Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theological Seminary and serves as a spiritual director.
JOHN HANNEMAN served as pastor at Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino for 34 years. After working with young singles for many years his interest turned to spiritual formation. John was trained in spiritual direction at CenterQuest.
RUSS IKEDA, D.Min. in Spiritual Formation is Director of Emmaus Ministries of Silicon Valley, a mentoring ministry to pastors and market-place leaders. Russ is also a spiritual director. He served as Associate Pastor at Saratoga Federated Church for 22 years and currently serves as adjunct faculty at William Jessup University.
KATE LAMONT is a singer, pianist, and songwriter. She teaches voice and piano. Kate brings a unique mix of classical training and improvisational freedom to her creativity in worship settings both traditional and modern. Kate is our SoulCARE worship leader.
Board Members
RALPH HARNETT is our Board Chair and leads spiritual formation small groups. He has had broad international experience as a board member of Dyno Nobel, Ensign Bickford, and Applied Food Biotechnology focusing on strategic partnering and acquisitions. He is the retired CEO of Ensign Bickford Industries and a former senior executive of Raychem Corporation.
SARAH HARNETT is a credentialed spiritual director through the Haggard School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University and leads WellSpring retreats and small groups, including Ignatian Spirituality groups. Sarah was on the founding board of WellSpring where she has served continuously ever since. She also serves on the SoulCARE leadership team.
PATTY MARTIN received a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology and received her training in spiritual direction from Azusa Pacific University. She received a certificate in Spiritual Formation through the Renovare Institute. Patty is on the WellSpring board, leads small groups and is a spiritual director.
JAKE CHACKO is on our Board of Directors and is a SoulCARE alum. He comes from a career in the marketplace holding executive positions in product management, business development and engineering at a variety of companies including Avaya, Cisco and WebDialogs, which he founded. Jake recently served as Operations Head at Menlo Church. Currently Jake runs Chacko Consulting Services and is writing a book called Leading from the Middle.
KEN PEREZ serves on our Board of Directors and is a SoulCARE alum. Ken comes from a career in business, working in a variety of roles for technology companies. Currently, he serves as the vice president of healthcare policy in the strategy and business development group of Omnicell. Ken has served on the boards of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Jesus Institute, and Langham USA, and as an elder for Menlo Church. He currently serves on the board of the Lowell Berry Foundation, the Lincoln Heights Tutorial Program and as an elder at New Community Church. He and his wife enjoy ministering to the residents of a local homeless shelter and as Marriage Mentors in their church.
TESS REYNOLDS serves on our Board of Directors. Tess has over 16 years as a nonprofit CEO plus 20 years in Tech Industry as Vice President Marketing, Business Unit General Manager, and Consultant. Tess loves to help people and organizations navigate growth and change. She serves as an advisor to nonprofit leaders and philanthropists and has served on about 10 nonprofit boards, including 3 presently.
RUSS IKEDA, D.Min. in Spiritual Formation is Director of Emmaus Ministries of Silicon Valley, a mentoring ministry to pastors and market-place leaders. Russ is also a spiritual director. He served as Associate Pastor at Saratoga Federated Church for 22 years and currently serves as adjunct faculty at William Jessup University.
PATTI PIERCE founded WellSpring in 1994. Prior to establishing the ministry, she served as Teaching Leader for Bible Study Fellowship and Minister to Singles at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. She served as adjunct faculty at Fuller Seminary, teaching a D.Min. program in Spiritual Direction. She leads retreats and is a spiritual director.
TERI O’NEEL is a Senior Partner of WellSpring and a member of the founding board of directors. She comes out of a business career in technology marketing. She served as adjunct faculty at Fuller Seminary teaching a D.Min. program in Spiritual Direction. Teri leads retreats and is a spiritual director.
RICHARD GOTTHARDT is a Senior Partner at WellSpring. He has been a pastor for 28 years. Most recently he was on staff at Santa Cruz Bible Church, the last five years as Lead Pastor. Richard was trained in spiritual direction at CenterQuest. He leads retreats and alumni groups and is the voice of WellSpring on our podcast.
Ministry Team
EFF MARTIN is a private investor and a founding partner of Anthos Capital. He is deeply engaged in Christian spiritual formation ministries including discipling, teaching and leading retreats for men’s groups. Eff leads a men’s spiritual formation group for WellSpring.
JANET PEREZ leads individuals as well as small groups through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. She comes from an education background, teaching kindergarten, first grade and special needs elementary school children. She earned a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from both Azusa Pacific University and from Mercy Center and has received advanced training in leading the Exercises. Janet helps oversee the spiritual direction ministry at WellSpring.
PATTI YUKAWA received a Certificate in Spiritual Direction at the Mercy Center as well as a Certificate in Enneagram Training. She has Masters degrees in Counseling and Social Welfare. In addition to offering spiritual direction, she has served as a college counselor and instructor, a social worker, and a ministry coordinator at a local church. Patti leads spiritual formation small groups and workshops and helps oversee the spiritual direction ministry at WellSpring.
"I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into springs."
- Isaiah 41:18